The limited-production Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 was launched in 1969 as the culmination of the lauded W111 chassis, offering the marque’s devotees the craftsmanship they had come to expect with the performance they craved. The substantial V-8 could propel the weighty five-seater from 0–60 in under 10 seconds, offering 230 bhp and a top speed in excess of 125 mph.

This excellent example comes from a discerning private collector, who acquired the car to partner with his superb 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet, which it matches in both exterior and interior color and is also offered at this auction. The earliest history of the coupe is largely unknown, although receipts from as early as 1977 suggest that the car has resided in Southern California for much of its existence. The previous owner, also a marque enthusiast with upward of 17 Mercedes-Benz cars in his stable, purchased the 3.5 Coupe around 2008, and had it refurbished with a new Cognac interior and paint in the original Tobacco Brown (DB 423). In 2015, he sent the car to a Mercedes-Benz expert in Southern California, Scott Melnick’s Automotive Engineering, for a thorough service. It was then noticed by the consignor, who acquired the car and garaged it next to his Tobacco Brown 3.5 Cabriolet.

This 3.5 Coupe exhibits a lovely patina, the result of careful storage and maintenance over many years, and will delight the Mercedes-Benz collector in search of one of the marque’s most admired touring models.